[Event "Warrington & District Chess League - C "] [Site "lichess.org"] [Date "2023.10.18"] [Round "?.2"] [White "Bryan Slater"] [Black "Jonathan Miller"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A51"] [WhiteElo "1580"] [BlackElo "1649"] [Annotator "Jonathan Miller"] [PlyCount "44"] [EventDate "2023.??.??"] [SourceVersionDate "2022.11.03"] [WhiteTeam "Lymm"] [BlackTeam "Culcheth C"] {[%evp 0,44,19,31,14,-14,10,-25,-44,-9,-37,-37,-1,-15,-8,-12,16,-10,17,-14,-9, -9,-2,-8,13,0,5,-17,7,1,-9,-17,6,-32,1,-41,-6,-26,-26,-97,-25,-344,-586,-29993, -1078,-29995,-29996]} 1. d4 {[%eval 0,0] I expected Bryan to start with D4 and C4 and I have played the Budapest Gambit a lot in the past with mixed results but it generally takes people out of the book and into unbalanced positions.} Nf6 {[%eval 28,0]} 2. c4 {[%eval 16,0]} e5 $6 {[%eval 74,0] Inaccuracy. e6 was best.} (2... e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4) 3. d5 $6 { [%eval 31,0] Inaccuracy. dxe5 was best. Bryan spent a while on this move and obviously wanted to make it harder for me so he avoided most of the known traps - however it means I am ahead in piece development which is my aim.} (3. dxe5 Ng4 4. e4 Nxe5 5. f4 Nec6 6. Nc3 Bc5 7. Na4 Bb4+) 3... Bc5 {[%eval 0,0] The engine prefers Bb4+ but my move plays more into the weakness on f7 and I knew would make Bryan uncomfortable.} (3... Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Qe7 5. e3 Ne4 6. Bxb4 Qxb4+ 7. Nd2) 4. Nc3 {[%eval 15,0]} (4. e3) 4... d6 {[%eval 0,0] Although I lock my bishop in my pawn chain is strong and my grip on the centre is better.} 5. e3 {[%eval 25,0] I contemplated a5 here to protect again b4 and to open a retreat for the bishop - but (probably wrongly) didn't want to give the knight the b5 square as it would a nuisance.} (5. a3 Bd4) 5... O-O {[%eval 0,0] With Bryan's dark squared bishop locked in I thought I was Ok to castle kings side and although the engine rates it equal felt that I had gained a tempo or two.} 6. Be2 $6 {[%eval 71,0] Inaccuracy. Bd3 was best.} (6. Bd3 a5 7. a3 Na6 8. Nge2 Ng4 9. h3 Qh4 10. O-O Nh6) 6... a6 $6 {[%eval 1,0] Inaccuracy. Bb4 was best. Just to create an escape square for the bishop and keep the knight off b5. Also I had been thinking about whether to play Na6 with plans for either Nc5 or Nb4.} (6... Bb4 7. Bd2 Bxc3 8. Bxc3 Ne4 9. Rc1 Qh4 10. g3 Qf6 11. Bf3) 7. Nf3 {[%eval 4,0]} Bf5 {[%eval 0,0] I though the bishop was good here blocking Rb1 and also keeping the grip on e4.} 8. O-O {[%eval 13,0]} Nbd7 {[%eval 41,0] Seemed a natural move although Nb6 would risk trapping the bishop on c5. Also potentially considering e4 and Ne5.} (8... Ne4 9. Nxe4 Bxe4) 9. Bd2 $6 { [%eval 32,0] Inaccuracy. Nh4 was best. Bryan's dark squared bishop is bad - the computer thinks its equal but as humans I know I prefer my position as the bishop have active diagonals} (9. Nh4 Be4 10. a3 a5 11. f3 Bg6 12. Nxg6 hxg6 13. Kh1 c6 14. g4 Qb6 15. Qd2 g5) 9... Ne4 {[%eval 8,0] I don't think this was the best move but despite feeling i was better couldnt quite work out a plan... I wondered about Nd7 and where it would be best - I consider f8 and then g6 but that hampered the white squared bishop so I though swapping one knight off and having the other on f6. I imagined playing f5 at some stage but that would block it...} 10. Nxe4 {[%eval 3,0]} Bxe4 {[%eval 1,0]} 11. Bc3 {[%eval 34,0] I wondered now if I could do some tactics on e3 to try to swap two pieces for a rook and 2 pawns and open up his position.} (11. b4 Ba7 12. Bc3 Qe7) 11... Qe7 {[%eval 2,0] Simply to complete development and connect the rooks.} 12. b4 { [%eval 8,0]} Bb6 {[%eval 8,0] I couldnt see much of a difference between b6 and a7 - .} (12... Ba7) 13. Rc1 {[%eval 3,0]} Nf6 {[%eval 15,0]} 14. Nd2 { [%eval 16,0] I liked my bishops still - e3 is always an issue. I didnt consider letting Bryan swap his knight for my bishop.} Bg6 {[%eval 2,0]} (14... a5 15. a3 axb4 16. axb4) 15. Nb3 {[%eval 11,0] Bryan was now supporting his c5 push and I spent a little time working out combinations of where to place my rooks.} Ne4 {[%eval 27,0] In the end if felt better to put my knight on a strong square in the centre - also defending c5. I considered Nxf7 but couldnt see a clear line.} (15... Rfd8 16. c5 dxc5 17. bxc5 Rxd5 18. Bd2 Ba7) 16. Bf3 $6 {[%eval 29,0] Inaccuracy. Be1 was best.} (16. Be1 Ba7 17. Kh1 Nf6 18. a4 h6 19. a5 c6 20. dxc6 bxc6 21. Qd2 Rfd8 22. Qb2 Bh5) 16... Qg5 {[%eval 22,0] This felt like a move adding pressure onto e3, again looking at Bxe3, fxBe3, Qxe3 and NxBc3...} 17. Qe2 $6 {[%eval 54,0] Inaccuracy. c5 was best. The bishop is now potentially trapped after NxBc3 and e5.} (17. c5 Ba7 18. Nd2 Nxc3 19. Rxc3 a5 (19... Rad8 20. h3 dxc5 21. bxc5 Qe7 22. Ne4 Bxe4 23. Bxe4 f5) 20. a3) 17... f5 {[%eval 32,0] Closing the escape square for the bishop} 18. Bxe4 $6 { [%eval -100,0] Inaccuracy. c5 was best. I felt I had a clear edge now as opening the f-file helps me. I was thinking now about rook lifts.} (18. c5 Ba7 (18... dxc5 19. bxc5 Nxc3 20. Rxc3 Ba7)) 18... fxe4 {[%eval -86,0]} 19. c5 $6 { [%eval -176,0] Inaccuracy. Kh1 was best. I knew I was winning now - I thought after Bh5 - Bryan's best option was to exchange his queen for a pair of bishops.} (19. Kh1 Rf6) 19... Bh5 {[%eval -173,0]} 20. Qe1 $4 {[%eval -32757,0] Checkmate is now unavoidable. h4 was best. After Qe1 I knew that I had forced mate.} (20. h4 Qxh4 21. f3 exf3 22. Qf2 Qxf2+ 23. Rxf2 Ba7 24. Be1 fxg2 25. e4 Bg6 26. Rxf8+ Rxf8) (20. Qxh5 Qxh5 21. cxb6 cxb6 22. Nd2 Qf5) (20. f3 exf3 21. h4 fxe2 22. Rxf8+ Rxf8 23. hxg5) 20... Bf3 {[%eval -32759,0]} 21. g3 {[%eval -32759,0]} Qg4 {[%eval -32761,0]} 22. Nd2 {[%eval -32761,0]} Qh3 {[%eval -32763,0] Resignation} 0-1